Wash the potatoes well, but leave the skins on and put in a pan. Cover with cold salted water, bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

While the potatoes are boiling, cook the leek/onion in a shallow pan in the butter for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Tip into a bowl and mash roughly so some of the peas break up.

Drain the potatoes well. Allow them to cool a little in a colander so that the excess moisture escapes as steam. When you can handle the potatoes, remove the skin with a small knife – it should scrape off easily.

Pour the milk into the same pan that you used for the leek/onion, thyme, (aduly flavours if using) and place the fish fillets in the milk. Bring to a simmer, then turn the fish over when the milk comes up to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook for a further minute before removing from the heat.

Mash the potatoes roughly, or pass them through a potato ricer. Add the pea mix.

Flake the fish flesh into the potato-pea mix along with 2 tbsp of the cooking milk. Err on the side of a drier mix to ensure that the cakes do not collapse when you fry them.

Add the spring onions and parmesan, then fold all the ingredients together with a spoon. Season well with salt and pepper.

Allow the mix to cool thoroughly and shape into small balls or fishcakes with floured hands – they can be as big or as small as you like.

Arrange the coating ingredients in 3 separate bowls, starting with flour, then the egg-milk mix and finally the breadcrumbs.

Coat the first cake or ball in the flour, then transfer to the egg mix and finally, coat carefully in breadcrumbs or polenta. Place the finished fishcakes on a tray and refrigerate until needed. Make sure they are good and cold. This will also stop them collapsing.

To cook heat up the butter and oil in a large shallow frying pan. Having a mix of butter and oil will stop the butter burning. Carefully place each cake in the pan and fry over a medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. They can be served straight away or transferred to a low oven until serving.

I serve with a sweet chilli sauce. Sweet and sour sauce is also great.

Mix the Chinese five-spice powder with the salt and rub the duck breast on all sides.

Place duck skin down onto cold, un-greased and oil-less pan. Turn up the heat to high and allow duck skin to crisp. Do not touch, move or flip duck until meat is cooked half way and skin is crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Flip duck to cook other side for an additional 5-6 minutes. Once underside is cooked, angle pan to cook the edges of duck.

Remove duck from the pan to a warmed plate and allow to rest. Don’t cover as the skin will absorb the steam and will loose the crispy texture. It will rest easily for 10 minutes.

In the hot pan sauté the red curry paste, peppercorn, garlic and chili with duck fat for 30-45 seconds and add coconut milk and stock/water to pan and bring to a boil.

Once its come to a rolling boil add and stir in the grapes, pineapples and tomatoes. Add sugar and fish sauce. As soon as curry sauce starts to boil again, stir in bell peppers and remove from heat. Stir in the Thai basil and sliced kaffir lime leaves.

Add the sauce evenly to two warmed bowls. Slice the crispy duck breasts and place on top of curry sauce. Drizzle coconut milk onto duck and serve (optional).

Season ribs with salt and pepper. Over a medium high heat sauté ginger, garlic and onion in oil in a cast iron casserole. Add short ribs and continue tossing the meat until well coated with the mixture. Add the bay and cover with water (just enough to cover the ribs) and once simmering reduce the heat to low and cover.

Simmer for 2 hours checking from time to time and add more beef stock as required to maintain the water level so the ribs are just covered.

After 2 hours remove the lid and simmer until meat starts to fall off and the sauce has been reduced to half of the original amount.

Pat the chicken drumsticks dry well. Then make 1-2 deep cuts on each on both sides. In a bowl add the lime juice and salt to the chicken pieces, coat on all sides and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add all the spices with the yogurt and mix well, taste when mixed and adjust the salt seasoning to taste.

Add the chicken to this turning them in the mixture and cover the bowl with a lid or cling film. Refrigerate for 8 hours or more, best to leave it overnight.

The next day take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Pre-heat the oven grill (Broiler) to 225 C (435 F).

Line a baking tray with foil and lay the pieces of chicken leave sufficient space between the pieces. To this drizzle some oil on top and coat the oil on all sides of the chicken.

Now set the tray under the grill in the center and let it cook for 20 minutes check and turn the pieces over after 10 minutes. Make sure that it does not burn too much.

Serve hot with onion rings and mint sauce.

Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce/Chutney

Ingredients

2 medium bunches of fresh mint, cleaned and leaves separated

Fresh coriander leaves – a few strands

4 Green chillies, slit in the center and de-seeded

Salt, to season – to taste

3-4 tbsp thick yogurt

Fresh ginger, 25mm (1 inch) pealed and chopped fine

1 tsp oil

Method

In a skillet/ pan heat oil and once it turns hot add the ginger and stir wait for the raw smell to go, now add the mint leaves and sauté for 2 minutes and then add the coriander leaves. Keep sautéing till the leaves shrink to 1/4 of their original volume.

Add the green chilli and salt, stir and then remove from the heat. Let it cool down well.

Transfer the mix to a food processor, add only 1 tbsp yogurt and blend until fine and smooth, now add the remaining yogurt and blend again.

1 head fancy lettuce, chopped or asian greens that have been wilted (steamed for 1-2 minutes)
1 small bunch watercress, some of the stems trimmed, chopped
200g (6 oz) cooked lobster or prawn meat, chopped (mix of both is good)

Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, blue cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. This can also be done with a whisk, blending until creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. This can be done a few days in advance, and the flavours do improve with time. Be sure to whisk before using.

Toss the lettuce or wilted asian greens and watercress in a large bowl.

In another bowl combine the cold meats with the dressing.

In a serving bowl arrange a layer of the greens and then place a severing of the seafood mix. Arrange the sliced tomatoes and avocado around the edge. Season with a little salt and pepper and serve immediately.

This recipe is a blend of flavours from several countries that I have lived in over the years. Its in general Indian flavours and is a wonderful way to cook and serve mussels as a starter. The recipe is easy to scale.

In a blender, put all the paste ingredients and wiz into a fine paste.

Place the cleaned mussels in a medium sized bowl and mix in the marinate/pate the red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well to combine so the spices and the paste cover the mussels evenly. Cover and rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Remove the mussels 20 minutes before you are wanting to cook them. Heat the oil in a pan and shallow fry the mussels over a medium heat. Stir and turn the mussels for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Rest for 1-2 minutes and serve.

I leave the prawn shells on in this dish as they are going to be placed on a hot grill plate and the shells help stop the soft prawn flesh from burning.

Serves 4

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 long green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp lime juice

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to season

16 raw king prawns, shells left on

Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 2 hours

Lime wedges, to serve

Place the garlic, honey, chilli, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large non-metallic bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the prawns and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Heat a barbecue grill plate to high. Remove prawns from marinade and thread 4 onto bamboo skewers. I use 2 skewers to ensure that the prawns can cook evenly on the grill plate and are easier to handle.

Grill prawn skewers for 2 minutes each side or until prawns are cooked through and golden. Serve skewers with lime wedges and seasonal fresh salad of choice.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and on low heat, add the onion, garlic and coriander stirring until the onion is soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, garam masala and water. Combine well and simmer until the tomato and rest of the ingredients have blended, 3-4 minutes and add the lemon juice.

Place fish into the sauce and carefully simmer for about 3-4 minutes, taking care not to break the fish up. Take off the heat and stir

Heat oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly score the skin of the duck breasts, taking care not to cut into the meat.

Heat a heavy, large nonstick oven-proof skillet over medium heat until hot. Place duck in skillet skin sides down. Cook 8 to 9 minutes or until skin is crisp and golden brown. Turn duck and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Transfer duck to a small baking sheet (reserve drippings in skillet.) Coat with the honey and bake duck 8 to 10 minutes and then transfer the duck to a carving board and let stand until cooled, 10 to 15 minutes. Once cooled remove the skin from duck. Cut duck into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.

Preheat grill on your oven (broiler). Beat eggs in a large bowl and then beat in the milk, spring onions, salt and pepper. Stir in duck and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Measure drippings in skillet and if they are less than 2 tablespoons of drippings, add duck fat or butter to equal 2 tablespoons. Place skillet over medium-high heat until drippings are hot. Add egg mixture; cook without stirring until eggs start to firm and sides and bottom begin to brown, lifting sides occasionally to let uncooked egg run underneath, 4 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over egg mixture; transfer to grill (broiler) and cook 150mm (6 inches) from heat source for 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.